Science of Skin: Are you a Grape or A Raisin?

Science of Skin: Your skin is the largest human organ — most of us have more than 20 square feet of it. But while it may seem the same, the skin on your legs, arms and everywhere else below the neck is dramatically different than the skin on your face, and it needs to be cared for differently.

Science Fact: The body skin is thicker. Compared to the paper-thin skin around your eyes, the skin on the bottom of your feet is about as thick as a pencil eraser. Even in areas that aren’t touching the ground all of the time, the added thickness makes body skin less sensitive than facial skin.

Body skin is also more prone to a buildup of dead cells. It has a lower cell turnover rate than facial skin, resulting in less naturally occurring exfoliation, according to Tim Falla, Ph.D., Vice President of Research and Development at Rodan + Fields.

Without proper care, the skin on your body also can make you look older than you are. The body skin is drier than facial skin (your face is home to more sebaceous glands), and dry skin looks and acts like aging skin.

How do you care for the skin on your body? With science and the creation of hydrating products designed specifically for thicker, drier skin, such as